Christo Wrapped Bottles and Cans

The well known artist Christo, often worked with his wife, Jean-Claude in the creation of modern art sculptures. Unfortunately, Jean-Claude passed away in 2009, but the world had yet to see the last artwork the artist would reveal to the public. In what could possibly have been one of his most ambitious wrapping project of all time, Christo wrapped a lake in bright yellow fabric.

 

On the nineteenth of June this year, Christo installed The Floating Piers on lake Iseo in Italy. The large work of art proved to fascinate the public with its interactive twist. Like a large yellow cloth spread across the lake, it enabled visitors to the small town of Sulzano to walk on the lake. Pictures of this innovative piece of art soon went viral on social media channels, and during the two weeks that The Floating Piers was open to the public, it attracted more than a million visitors who bravely decided to walk the waters of lake Iseo.

 

But once this artwork had seen enough of the spotlight, it was promptly removed and processed into various materials for recycling. Christo views this impermanence of his work as an act of freedom that’s meant to avoid ownership, which he views as an opposing force to freedom.

 

It would be a pity if Christo’s works, like this most recent project, were destroyed after a matter of weeks. You’d be glad to know that this isn’t the case. Many of his prints and wrapped objects are still available for art enthusiasts to collect and admire. And luckily these pieces don’t seem like they’ll be disappearing soon, either.

 

Christo’s prints are timeless and interesting. Even when the object that’s been concealed is easily identifiable, the works still leave viewers with a sense of mystery regarding the works.

 

Christo’s Wrapped Bottles and Cans

Of course, even before his walkway on an Italian lake was revealed, Christo has been known for wrapping various objects.

 

One project in particular that attracted attention were his wrapped bottles and cans. The artist’s interest in both the concealment of three-dimensional objects and a comparison of the qualities of these objects, led him to wrap bottles and cans in resin-soaked canvas. He then painted these concealed objects with a mixture to seal them and emphasize their texture.

 

These wrapped items were originally used in an installation called Inventory, an artwork that featured all of Christo’s wrapped bottles and cans piled in a corner as if part of a household’s inventory. Since then, the artwork has been scattered and these bottles and cans are now part of various collections in different locations. And unfortunately, many of the wrapped bottles and cans have been lost.

 

Apart from wrapped objects, Christo has also created prints of these artworks. Currently, we have some of Christo’s prints available for sale in our gallery. These prints capture the heart and feeling of Christo’s work and his interest in shape and concealment. If you are an admirer of the artist’s work, we welcome you to contact us or visit us at our gallery, where we display work with a particular focus on Pop, Abstract Expressionism and Optical Art.

August 26, 2016